Rectal irrigator



Patented' Feb. 8l, 1927, u j UNITED err 1,616,92 FFIC E I HOWARD GJCAR'TER, '0F nnrncnllvrronrenn.

RECTAL IRRIGATOR.

A Application led January Thisinvention relates to an apparatus for flushing the bowels and like purposes and its y object is to provide a construction and arrangement whereby the lower bowel may be thoroughly flushed and cleansed andthe cleansing fluid and all matter from the bowel maximum of sanitation. It is also an object to provide a douche which may be easily inserted in the rectum without danger of injury to the patient or causingv undue discomfort and which will provide the necessary spray or jet and also afford an open discharge passage for' the escape of the cleansing fluid' and offal duringl the spraying operation, thus relieving the patient from thei discomfort which would otherwise be caused by the pressure and volume of in'- jected fluid.

A further object is to provide a simple and easily operated apparatus providing' a maximum of sanitation and efficiency' in .operation and having other new and useful features hereinafter more fully'described.

lVith the above and other ends'i in view, the invention consists in the matters herein-y after set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which'l l Figure 1 is'a side elevation of an appa-l ratus illustrativeof an embodiment of the invention f Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through-a douche embodying features of the invention; and Y i i I i Fig. 31s a perspective view of locking .means fora movable feed'pipe and spray head of the douche.

Devices' usually employed'for injecting a cleansing fluid into the rectum and for other andsimilar purposes usually comprise a jet nozzle which is inserted directlyv into the rectum vandf'no provision is made for the escape of the injected fluid or offal carried 'by tnefluid and therefore great discomfort is often Vcaused the patient-.by the volume and pressure ofthe injected fluid and the amount of nauseons 17, 1925. serial No. 3,087.

which may be linjected is limited as none can. escape until after the removal of the douche.

Further'these devices which are commonly used are nnsanitary and injuryfto the parts is liable to Vbe caused by the insertion,h and upon discharge of the lcleansing fluid, fthe escape into the room of obnoxious odors canf'notbe prevented.` The present ,inventionk contemplates the overcoming of Vvthese and and without danger' of injury and which may be' operated when in place, to open upa discharge passage for thefree'escapev from thebowel of the injected fluid andduring such injection, so that the bowel will bethor'- oughly flushed, the operation being continned aslong'as necessaryand the offal Vcarried away by the flow, a suitable receptacle .being connected'with the discharge passage to re# qother disadvantages through theprovisionVvlr of a douche which may be introduced easily ceive the out-flowV and thus prevent'the es'-l f cape of'odors.

rlhexapparatus shownv inthe accompanying drawing comprises, preferably fa water bag.

l or other suitable container'forv the cleansi'ngfluid, to which bag is connected a rub*- ber vtube'Q for the conducting ofthe fluid to the discharge tube 3 of the douche, indicated as a whole by the numeral' 4. This douche includes a body or casing to whicha suitable Y refuse receptacle 5 is connected,this receptacle being, preferably, inth'eform v)of a 'rub-` ber bag having an inlet at one end and -an outlet at its oppositeV end, thefoutlet being tightly closed by a detachable screw cap 6 and the inlet by its connectionto the downwardly'V and laterally: .projecting -screwthreaded discharge endl 7" of the body or casing 8 ofthe douche. kThe inlet 9 to the re# ceptacle 5 may be Vformed to screw directly uponthe end 7 of the casingfS as shown,

oraisuitable conduit, may, if found desir-v able, be provided for conducting Vthe dis--l charge Vinto the rece'ptacle,'but in any event the passage or connection will be tight and prevent the escapeof odors into the atmosphere. interposed in the tube or conduit 2 leading from the bag l to the'douche 4, is the usual rubber `bulb '10.by the compressionv and expansion of which the fluidmay be drawn from thebag and discharged with considerable force through the spray head llicarri'ed by the tube 3./ A*

The body or casing of the douche is ex'- terirly 'smooth and rounded, and' is gradu-` ally' tapered towardits open lend within as shoivn in Fig. 2.

Which the spray head 11 is adapted to fit. This spray head is formed exteriorly smooth and tapered toward a smooth rounded end and is formed With a chamber 12 in said end having a plurality of jet openings 13 in the rounded end of the headr This head is secured upon the open end of the tube 3 to the opposite or outer end et which the rubber conduit 2 is connected in any'suitable manner. rfhe edge of the open end of the casing or shell 8 into Which the head 11 iits closely, is thinned or tapered to'meet the outer surface oi"V the hec d and thus the outer tapering surface ot thehead 11 torms a substantial unbroken continuation of the tapering outer` surface ot the shell 8 when the headV is projected into the. end of the shell Y rifhe tube 3 extends axially of the shell S and out through a tu Jular vbearing 14 formed integral with the rear end of the shell, Within which bearing said tube 3 is longitudinally7 movable so that bf C u l moving` the tube, the head 11 carried thereby may be retracted into the shell 3 as indicatedl in dotted lines in Fig. @,ot i ,y be projected into the open end ot-the shell to close the same and torni a smooth rounded end for the shell. Suitable packing nuts 15 are provided around the tube Where it projects through the rearend of the shell to make a tight joint and prevent leakage. The outer of these nuts is formed with a longitudinally extending slot 1G having a laterally extended inner portion and on the tube 3 is a pin 1T projecting laterally therefrom to engage in said slot, as shovvn in Fig. 3, and lock the tube against longitudinal movement when the rtube is moved to 'fully project the spray head 11 into the end of the shell, as shown in Fig. 2, and then turned to bringr the pin into the lateral end portion of the slot. Y

The parts being` assembled as shown in Fig. 1 and With the spray head 11. projected into the open end ot the shell, as shoivn in Fig. 2, the douche may be easily inserted in the rectum of the patient due to the smooth, rounded and continuous taper of the head and shell, and because of this smooth surface, and rounded end of the head, the danger of injury to ythe patient is obviated. After the douche has been fully inserted, the tube Sis releasedby a slight turning movement and moved longitudinally to retract the spray head into the shell and open the end of the shell. The bulb 10 is then alternat-ely compressed and allowed to expand to draw fluid from the bag 1 and eject it With force through the jet openings 13 in the end of the head 11. Asthese openings are directed toward the open end ot the shell,y the jets of fluid will be projected into the bowel of the patient, flushing and cleansing the tissues, and as the cavity lills, the Water will run out through the open end of the shell,

carrying With it, the otlal and other matter dislodged by the spray, This outliow can escape from the rectum ot the patient only through the shell as the douche lits closely in the rectum, and as the receptacle 5 is directly connected with the outlet of the shell, the

discharge Will dow directly into the receptacle, andas the same is tightly closed, no odors can escape. been thoroughly cleansed, the douche is removed and the apparatus taken to aV suitable place Where the receptacle may be emptied by removingthe cap (3 from itsdischarge end. The discharge is therefore contained Within a tight receptacle during the entire operation and no obnoxious odors can escape. lhutherl the device is sanitary, as none of the discharge can escape except into the receptacle 5 and the operation is acilie ing a passage therethrough andopen at its inner end, said shell being tapered towardy its open inner end, a spray head having a rounded and tapered surface to tit Within and close said open inner end of the shell with said suriace forming a continuation ot said inner end oic the shell when said head is projected throughr said opening in the shell, and means i'or retracting said head into said shell and projecting it through said open end to close the same;

2. An apparatus 'for the purpose described including a douche comprising a shell having an open inner end and of smooth rounded exterior tapering toward said open end, a movable spray head to c-lose said open end and having a'sinooth rounded exterior'and end portion forming a continuation of the eXteriorro-t said shell when said head is Within said open end of the shell, said head being formed with jet openings in its rounded end and said shell having an opening at its outer end to permit tree tlovv of Water through said shell -when said head is retracted from the open inner end of the shell,and means 'for supplying fluid under pressure to said head.

3. An apparatus tor the purpose described includingl a douche comprising a shell open at and rounded and tapered toward its inner end and provided with a discharge outlet laterally ot its outer end, a spray head to tit Within and close said open inner end of the shell, said head being rounded and ritter the parts have.

llO

movement to hold said'head projected from and Within the open inner end of the shell With said end closed thereby.

5. A douche as set forth in claim 3, Wherein' said outlet at the outer end of the shell is positioned laterally thereof and said tube extends axially of the shell and through the outer end wall thereof, said Wall being provided with a bearing for said tube With- Y in which bearing said tube is longitudinally movable, saidptube forming a conduit to supply fluid to the head and means for moving the head into the open inner end of the shell to close the same and to retract the head into the shell out of said open end, said head being provided With a jet opening to direct fluid through the open inner end of the shell When the head is retracted. 6. A douche comprising a shell of a smooth and rounded exterior having an open inner end and tapered toward said end and having a laterally extending outer end portion provided with a screw-threaded end for the connection thereto of a receptacle to receive discharge from the shell, a spray head of rounded and tapering exterior to fit Within the open inner end yof the shell and to project therefrom to form a ltapering extension for the shell and formed With a jet opening in its rounded end, a tube for supplying fluid to the head and to one endof which the head is secured, the opposite end of said tube extending through the outer end Wall of the shell for the attachment thereto of a conduit for supplying fluid to the tube, the Wall of s'aid shell being provided With a bearing for the tube through which the tube is longitudinally movable for moving' the head into and out of said open inner end of the shell, and means for locking said tube against longitudinal movement.

7. An apparatus for the purpose described including a douche, means for supplying fluid under pressure to said douche, said douche comprising a shell having an open inner end vand a smooth rounded exterior tapered toward said end, aclosed inner end A' and a laterally extending discharge outlet adjacent said louter end, a spray head having a rounded and tapering exterior to` form a continuation of the rounded'and tapered end of the shellv and provided With a jet opening in its rounded end, said head being of a diameter to fit in said open inner .end of the shell and of a length to project therefrom, a tube extending axially of the'shell through the outer end Wall thereof and to the inner end of which tube the headis secured, said .shell Wall .being provided With a tubular bearing for said tube extending inwardly and outwardly ofv said Wall and Within which bearingk the tube is longitudinally movable to project and -retract the head, means at the outer end of'said Vbearing to `form a vvater tight joint to prevent leakage through said bearing around said tube, and lockingmeans to lock said tube against longitudinal movement; and a receptacle comprising a bag having water tight connection at one end with said lateral discharge outlet of the shell and a discharge opening at its opposite end, and a cap to vclose said discharge opening of the bag.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HOWARD G. CARTER. 

